Forget 2018 — early 2019 is full of huge blockbuster games

Many of the biggest upcoming games are missing this holiday season, intentionally making way for an 800-pound gorilla: “Red Dead Redemption 2.”

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Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive

This holiday season, the folks behind “Grand Theft Auto” are launching their next opus for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. As such, major upcoming games like EA’s “Anthem” and Sony’s “Days Gone” are getting out of the way, and they’re not the only two.

At E3 2018, the annual video game trade show in Los Angeles, a surprising number of major games got release dates in the first quarter of 2019 – a time that’s usually reserved for leftovers from the holiday season.

Here are all the big games bolstering the first months of 2019:

“Resident Evil 2” (Remake)

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Capcom

The long-awaited remake of fan-favorite horror classic “Resident Evil 2” is nearly ready – it’s set to arrive early in 2019, just like so many other great games currently in development.

“Resident Evil 2” introduced the world to Leon S. Kennedy (seen above) – the main character in “Resident Evil 4.” Kennedy and Claire Redfield find themselves in the middle of a surprise zombie outbreak in the fictional town of Raccoon City. It’s an action-packed introduction to many of the major themes of the “Resident Evil” franchise, and it’s getting gorgeously remade for modern consoles.

Release date: January 25, 2019

Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Check it out in action right here:

“Kingdom Hearts 3”

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Square Enix/Disney

Woody, Buzz, Rex and the rest of the “Toy Story” gang are moving from film to video games with “Kingdom Hearts 3,” an upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4 action-adventure game.

The game is the long-anticipated third entry in the “Kingdom Hearts” series – the last major entry, “Kingdom Hearts 2,” launched all the way back in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. In “Kingdom Hearts,” various Disney characters and their worlds are mashed up with characters that would be right at home in a “Final Fantasy” game.

Alongside the cast of “Toy Story” (and their Earth-like setting), “Kingdom Hearts 3” also stars Goofy and Donald Duck. You may’ve noticed a third character here – that’s “Sora,” the main character of “Kingdom Hearts 3” and who you’ll play as when the game launches in early 2019 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Release date: January 29, 2019

Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Check it out in action right here:

“Anthem”

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EA

Remember “Mass Effect”? How about “Dragon Age,” or “The Knights of the Old Republic”?

That trio of blockbusters came from the folks at EA’s BioWare studios – the same people behind next year’s “Anthem,” an all-new action-RPG. Like “Destiny,” BioWare’s “Anthem” is played online and focuses on players grouping up to collectively take on missions.

Frankly speaking, what we’ve seen so far looks gorgeous and thrilling. Each player has the ability to fly through the air, Iron Man-style, whenever they want. It adds a layer of exploration that makes it unlike anything else available.

Release date: February 22, 2019

Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Check it out in action right here:

“Crackdown 3”

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Sumo Digital/Microsoft Studios

“Crackdown 3” has been in the works for years at this point, having been delayed multiple times.

As the name implies, it’s the third game in the open-world, third-person action “Crackdown “series. But this time, apparently, it stars Terry Crews?

The series is big on mobility – allowing you to go anywhere you want – and big explosions. It looks like the third game in the series is no different in this respect.

Release date: February 22, 2019

Platform(s): Xbox One, PC

Check it out in action right here:

“Metro: Exodus”

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4A Games/Deep Silver

Like so many other video games, the “Metro” series is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Unlike many of those games, “Metro” is set in Russia. It envisions a post-apocalypse shaped by nuclear radiation, dwindling resources, and unpredictable, extreme weather conditions.

It’s a game about nuclear monsters, survival, and humanity. It’s also a first-person shooter, so expect lots of shooting.

In “Metro: Exodus,” the series finally exits the underground subway tunnels of previous games for higher ground. What you’ll find there remains to be seen, but we’re betting it’s gruesome.

Release date: February 22, 2019

Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Check it out in action right here:

“Days Gone”

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Sony

“Days Gone” is “Sons of Anarchy” meets “28 Days Later.” You play as a lone biker surviving in the wake of a global pandemic. Billions were wiped out, and many millions more became “freakers” – that’s zombies to you and me.

As if zombies weren’t scary enough, “Days Gone” turns them into a water-like mass capable of flooding into corridors with the speed and fury of a tsunami. They’re a far more overwhelming threat than the “Night of the Living Dead” zombies in games like “Resident Evil.”

That is, of course, when you’re not riding away on your sweet hog – which is always an option.

Release date: February 22, 2019

Platform(s): PlayStation 4

Check it out in action right here:

“The Division 2”

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Ubisoft

New York City? That’s old hat – in “The Division 2,” you’re headed straight into the nation’s capital to straighten out some bad guys from a third-person perspective.

Like in the first “Division” game, players group up online to tackle missions. It’s reminiscent of games like “Destiny” and the upcoming “Anthem” – a third-person shooter with a focus on cooperative play online.

Release date: March 15, 2019

Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Check it out in action right here:

“Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice”

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From Software

The folks behind the “Souls” series (“Demons Souls”/”Dark Souls”) and 2014’s incredible “Bloodborne” are back at it – only this time, instead of a Cthulu-inspired Victorian setting, the new game takes place in Feudal Japan.

In “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice,” you play as a ninja out for justice. Like previous third-person action games from the folks at From Software, “Sekiro” promises to be extremely difficult. Any enemy can take you down, and your best bet is to carefully, tactically, take down each foe. Unlike previous From Software games, “Sekiro” features a major stealth component, as well as a ton of mobility (as seen above).

Frankly speaking, it looks rad.

Release date: “Early 2019”

Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Check it out in action right here:

“Devil May Cry 5”

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Capcom

Early 2019 is going to be rife with slick-looking third-person action games, and “Devil May Cry 5” is the perfect example.

The series is known for its ultra-stylish characters, deep fighting system, and over-the-top settings. If the first trailer for the game is any indication, “Devil May Cry 5” takes those ideas and runs with them (then leaps into the air and murders like two dozen flying demons).